WelcomeTo My World

Monday, 28 February 2011

The SistaMoon Foundation requests your support of ShecklesDiva Presents Series. ShecklesDiva Production in association with the SistaMoon Foundation will be composing/producing and directing a Series of Videos and Short Films to bring awareness to Devicâs Disease as well as to document Dawn Sheckles Journey to and From Devicâs Disease. We will be showing her hard work via her Occupational and Physical Therapy sessions and how she progresses. We will be producing The Beautiful faces of Devicâs Disease Vol II in the near future as well to showcase the Beauty in everything. The video is to show that we are all beautiful and have something to contribute to this world. People who have disorders/diseases/disabilities do not need our sympathy, they deserve our respect. We all have the right to live life out loud, to love from every corner of our hearts and to laugh robustly and to be professionals.

ShecklesDiva Presents the Following Videos for your viewing pleasure. The purpose of the videos is to Educate, Inform and as always to Bring Awareness to Devicâs Disease.

In every monthly newsletter, we will be featuring an advocate/activist of the month. This will allow people to see that we are not alone in our endeavors to show the world that all people are created equal and deserve their place in the Sun.

Respectfully,

The Team at SistaMoon Foundation. We Thank each and everyone of you for your continued Support.

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, family violence and intimate partner violence (IPV), can be broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation.[1] Domestic violence has many forms including physical aggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, throwing objects), or threats thereof; sexual abuse; emotional abuse; controlling or domineering; intimidation; stalking; passive/covert abuse (e.g., neglect); and economic deprivation.[1] Alcohol consumption[2] and mental illness[3] can be co-morbid with abuse, and present additional challenges when present alongside patterns of abuse.
Awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country, and from era to era. Estimates[citation needed] are that only about a third of cases of domestic violence are actually reported in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to the Centers for Disease Control, domestic violence is a serious, preventable public health problem affecting more than 32 million Americans, or over 10% of the U.S. population.[4]

Definitions

The term "intimate partner violence" (IPV) is often used synonymously with domestic abuse/domestic violence. Family violence is a broader definition, often used to include child abuse, elder abuse, and other violent acts between family members.[5] Wife abuse, wife beating, and battering are descriptive terms that have lost popularity recently for at least two reasons:

Acknowledgment that many victims are not actually married to the abuser, but rather cohabiting or other arrangement.[6]

Abuse can take other forms than physical abuse and males are often victims of violence as well. Other forms of abuse may be constantly occurring, while physical abuse happens occasionally.

These other forms of abuse have the potential to lead to mental illness, self-harm, and even attempts at suicide.[7][8]Amartya Sen calculated that between 60 million and 107 million women are missing worldwide.[9]
The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner". The definition adds that domestic violence "can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender", and that it can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse.[10]
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the United Kingdom in its "Domestic Violence Policy" uses domestic violence to refer to a range of violent and abusive behaviours, defining it as:

Patterns of behaviour characterised by the misuse of power and control by one person over another who are or have been in an intimate relationship. It can occur in mixed gender relationships and same gender relationships and has profound consequences for the lives of children, individuals, families and communities. It may be physical, sexual, emotional and/or psychological. The latter may include intimidation, harassment, damage to property, threats and financial abuse.[11]

In Spain, the 2004 Measures of Integral Protection Measures against Gender Violence defined gender violence as a violence that is directed at women for the very fact of being women. The law acknowledges that aggressions against women have a particular incidence in the reality of Spain and that gender violence stands as the most brutal symbol of the inequality persisting in Spain. According to the law, women are considered by their attackers as lacking the basic rights of freedom, respect, and power of decision.[12]

Classification

All forms of domestic abuse have one purpose: to gain and maintain control over the victim. Abusers use many tactics to exert power over their spouse or partner: dominance, humiliation, isolation, threats, intimidation, denial and blame.[13]
The form and characteristics of domestic violence and abuse may vary in other ways. Michael P. Johnson argues for three major types of intimate partner violence. The typology is supported by subsequent research and evaluation by Johnson and his colleagues,[14][15][16][17] as well as independent researchers.[18][19][20]
Distinctions need to be made regarding types of violence, motives of perpetrators, and the social and cultural context. Violence by a person against their intimate partner is often done as a way for controlling "their partner", even if this kind of violence is not the most frequent.[21] Other types of intimate partner violence also occur, including violence between gay and lesbian couples,[22] and by women against their male partners.[23]
Distinctions are not based on single incidents, but rather on patterns across numerous incidents and motives of the perpetrator. Types of violence identified by Johnson:[23][24][25][26]

Common couple violence (CCV) is not connected to general control behavior, but arises in a single argument where one or both partners physically lash out at the other. Intimate terrorism is one element in a general pattern of control by one partner over the other. Intimate terrorism is more common than common couple violence, more likely to escalate over time, not as likely to be mutual, and more likely to involve serious injury.[23][25][27]

Intimate terrorism (IT) may also involve emotional and psychological abuse.[28][29][30]

Violent resistance (VR), sometimes thought of as "self-defense", is violence perpetrated by victims against their abusive partners.[25][31][32][33][34]

Mutual violent control (MVC) is rare type of intimate partner violence occurs when both partners act in a violent manner, battling for control.[23][35]

Another type is situational couple violence, which arises out of conflicts that escalate to arguments and then to violence. It is not connected to a general pattern of control. Although it occurs less frequently in relationships and is less serious than intimate terrorism, in some cases it can be frequent and/or quite serious, even life-threatening. This is probably the most common type of intimate partner violence and dominates general surveys, student samples, and even marriage counseling samples.
Types of male batterers identified by Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart (1994) include "family-only", which primarily fall into the CCV type, who are generally less violent and less likely to perpetrate psychological and sexual abuse. IT batterers include two types: "Generally-violent-antisocial" and "dysphoric-borderline". The first type includes men with general psychopathic and violent tendencies. The second type are men who are emotionally dependent on the relationship.[23][34][36] Support for this typology has been found in subsequent evaluations.[37][38]
Others, such as the US Centers for Disease Control, divide domestic violence into two types: reciprocal violence, in which both partners are violent, and non-reciprocal violence, in which one partner is violent.

Physical

Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.
Physical abuse includes hitting, slapping, punching, choking, pushing, and other types of contact that result in physical injury to the victim. Physical abuse can also include behaviors such as denying the victim of medical care when needed, depriving the victim of sleep or other functions necessary to live, or forcing the victim to engage in drug/alcohol use against his/her will.[39] It can also include inflicting physical injury onto other targets, such as children or pets, in order to cause psychological harm to the victim.[40]

Sexual

Sexual abuse is any situation in which force is used to obtain participation in unwanted sexual activity. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom consensual sex has occurred, is an act of aggression and violence.
Categories of sexual abuse include:

Use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or not the act is completed;

Attempted or completed sex act involving a person who is unable to understand the nature or condition of the act, unable to decline participation, or unable to communicate unwillingness to engage in the sexual act, e.g., because of underage immaturity, illness, disability, or the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or because of intimidation or pressure.

Emotional

Emotional abuse (also called psychological abuse or mental abuse) can include humiliating the victim privately or publicly, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information from the victim, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, implicitly blackmailing the victim by harming others when the victim expresses independence or happiness, or denying the victim access to money or other basic resources and necessities.
Emotional/verbal abuse is defined as any behavior that threatens, intimidates, undermines the victim’s self-worth or self-esteem, or controls the victim’s freedom.[41] This can include threatening the victim with injury or harm, telling the victim that they will be killed if they ever leave the relationship, and public humiliation. Constant criticism, name-calling, and making statements that damage the victim’s self-esteem are also common forms of emotional abuse. Often perpetrators will use children to engage in emotional abuse by teaching them to harshly criticize the victim as well.[42] Emotional abuse includes conflicting actions or statements which are designed to confuse and create insecurity in the victim. These behaviors also lead the victim to question themselves, causing them to believe that they are making up the abuse or that the abuse is their fault.[40]
Emotional abuse includes forceful efforts to isolate the victim, keeping them from contacting friends or family. This is intended to eliminate those who might try to help the victim leave the relationship and to create a lack of resources for them to rely on if they were to leave. Isolation results in damaging the victim’s sense of internal strength, leaving them feeling helpless and unable to escape from the situation.[42]
People who are being emotionally abused often feel as if they do not own themselves; rather, they may feel that their significant other has nearly total control over them. Women or men undergoing emotional abuse often suffer from depression, which puts them at increased risk for suicide, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse.[43]

Verbal

Verbal abuse is a form of abusive behavior involving the use of language. It is a form of profanity that can occur with or without the use of expletives.
Abusers may ignore, ridicule, disrespect, and criticize others consistently; manipulate words; purposefully humiliate; falsely accuse; manipulate people to submit to undesirable behavior; make others feel unwanted and unloved; threaten economically; place the blame and cause of the abuse on others; isolate victims from support systems; harass; demonstrate Jekyll and Hyde behaviors, either in terms of sudden rages or behavioral changes, or where there is a very different "face" shown to the outside world vs. with victim.
While oral communication is the most common form of verbal abuse, it includes abusive words in written form.

Economic

Economic abuse is when the abuser has control over the victim's money and other economic resources. In its extreme (and usual) form, this involves putting the victim on a strict "allowance", withholding money at will and forcing the victim to beg for the money until the abuser gives them some money. It is common for the victim to receive less money as the abuse continues. This also includes (but is not limited to) preventing the victim from finishing education or obtaining employment, or intentionally squandering or misusing communal resources.[44]

Effects

Physical

Bruises, broken bones, head injuries, lacerations, and internal bleeding are some of the acute effects of a domestic violence incident that require medical attention and hospitalization.[45] Some chronic health conditions that have been linked to victims of domestic violence are arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, pelvic pain, ulcers, and migraines.[46] Victims who are pregnant during a domestic violence relationship experience greater risk of miscarriage, pre-term labor, and injury to or death of the fetus.[45]

Psychological

Among victims who are still living with their perpetrators, high amounts of stress, fear, and anxiety are commonly reported. Depression is also common, as victims are made to feel guilty for ‘provoking’ the abuse and are constantly subjected to intense criticism. It is reported that 60% of victims meet the diagnostic criteria for depression, either during or after termination of the relationship, and have a greatly increased risk of suicidality.[47] In addition to depression, victims of domestic violence also commonly experience long-term anxiety and panic, and are likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. The most commonly referenced psychological effect of domestic violence is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD (as experienced by victims) is characterized by flashbacks, intrusive images, exaggerated startle response, nightmares, and avoidance of triggers that are associated with the abuse.[48] These symptoms are generally experienced for a long span of time after the victim has left the dangerous situation. Many researchers state that PTSD is possibly the best diagnosis for those suffering from psychological effects of domestic violence, as it accounts for the variety of symptoms commonly experienced by victims of trauma.

Financial

Once victims leave their perpetrator, they can be stunned with the reality of the extent to which the abuse has taken away their autonomy. Due to economic abuse and isolation, the victim usually has very little money of their own and few people on whom they can rely when seeking help. This has been shown to be one of the greatest obstacles facing victims of DV, and the strongest factor that can discourage them from leaving their perpetrators. [49] In addition to lacking financial resources, victims of DV often lack specialized skills, education, and training that are necessary to find gainful employment, and also may have several children to support. In 2003, thirty-six major US cities cited DV as one of the primary causes of homelessness in their areas.[50] It has also been reported that one out of every three homeless women are homeless due to having left a DV relationship. If a victim is able to secure rental housing, it is likely that her apartment complex will have “zero tolerance” policies for crime; these policies can cause them to face eviction even if they are the victim (not the perpetrator) of violence.[50] While the number of shelters and community resources available to DV victims has grown tremendously, these agencies often have few employees and hundreds of victims seeking assistance which causes many victims to remain without the assistance they need.[49]

Long-term

Domestic violence can trigger many different responses in victims, all of which are very relevant for any professional working with a victim. Major consequences of domestic violence victimization include psychological/mental health issues and chronic physical health problems. A victim’s overwhelming lack of resources can lead to homelessness and poverty.

On responders

Vicarious trauma

Due to the gravity and intensity of hearing victims’ stories of abuse, professionals (police, counselors, therapists, advocates, medical professionals) are at risk themselves for secondary or vicarious trauma (VT), which causes the responder to experience trauma symptoms similar to the original victim after hearing about the victim’s experiences with abuse.[51] Research has demonstrated that professionals who experience vicarious trauma show signs of exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts although they have not experienced a trauma personally and do not qualify for a clinical diagnosis of PTSD.[51] Researchers concluded that although clinicians have professional training and are equipped with the necessary clinical skills to assist victims of domestic violence, they may still be personally affected by the emotional impact of hearing about a victim’s traumatic experiences. Iliffe et al. found that there are several common initial responses that are found in clinicians who work with victims: loss of confidence in their ability to help the client, taking personal responsibility for ensuring the client’s safety, and remaining supportive of the client’s autonomy if they makes the decision to return to their perpetrator.[51] It has also been shown that clinicians who work with a large number of victims may alter their former perceptions of the world, and begin to doubt the basic goodness of others. Iliffe et al. found that clinicians who work with victims tend to feel less secure in the world, become “acutely aware” of power and control issues both in society and in their own personal relationships, have difficulty trusting others, and experience an increased awareness of gender-based power differences in society.[51]
The best way for a clinician to avoid developing VT is to engage in good self-care practices. These can include exercise, relaxation techniques, debriefing with colleagues, and seeking support from supervisors.[51] Additionally, it is recommended that clinicians make the positive and rewarding aspects of working with domestic violence victims the primary focus of thought and energy, such as being part of the healing process or helping society as a whole. Clinicians should also continually evaluate their empathic responses to victims, in order to avoid feelings of being drawn in to the trauma that the victim experienced. It is recommended that clinicians practice good boundaries, and find a balance in expressing empathic responses to the victim while still maintaining personal detachment from their traumatic experiences.[51]

Burnout

Vicarious trauma can lead directly to burnout, which is defined as “emotional exhaustion resulting from excessive demands on energy, strength, and personal resources in the work setting”.[52] The physical warning signs of burnout include headaches, fatigue, lowered immune function, and irritability.[53] A clinician experiencing burnout may begin to lose interest in the welfare of clients, be unable to empathize or feel compassion for clients, and may even begin to feel aversion toward the client.[52] If the clinician experiencing burnout is working with victims of domestic violence, the clinician risks causing further great harm through re-victimization of the client. It should be noted, however, that vicarious trauma does not always directly lead to burnout and that burnout can occur in clinicians who work with any difficult population – not only those who work with domestic violence victims.

Cause

There are many different theories as to the causes of domestic violence. These include psychological theories that consider personality traits and mental characteristics of the perpetrator, as well as social theories which consider external factors in the perpetrator's environment, such as family structure, stress, social learning. As with many phenomena regarding human experience, no single approach appears to cover all cases.
Whilst there are many theories regarding what causes one individual to act violently towards an intimate partner or family member there is also growing concern around apparent intergenerational cycles of Domestic Violence. In Australia where it has been identified that as many as 75% of all victims of Domestic Violence are children[54] Domestic Violence services such asSunnykids are beginning to focus their attention on children who have been exposed to Domestic Violence.[55]
Responses that focus on children suggest that experiences throughout life influence an individuals' propensity to engage in family violence (either as a victim or as a perpetrator). Researchers supporting this theory suggest it is useful to think of three sources of Domestic Violence: childhood socialization, previous experiences in couple relationships during adolescence, and levels of strain in a person's current life. People who observe their parents abusing each other, or who were themselves abused may incorporate abuse into their behaviour within relationships that they establish as adults. (Kalmuss & Seltzer 1984)

Psychological

In general, about 80% of both court-referred and self-referred men in these domestic violence studies exhibited diagnosable psychopathology, typically personality disorders. The estimate of personality disorders in the general population would be more in the 15-20% range [...] As violence becomes more severe and chronic in the relationship, the likelihood of psychopathology in these men approaches 100%."[3] Psychological theories focus on personality traits and mental characteristics of the offender. Personality traits include sudden bursts of anger, poor impulse control, and poor self-esteem. Various theories suggest that psychopathology and other personality disorders are factors, and that abuse experienced as a child leads some people to be more violent as adults. Studies have found high incidence of psychopathy among abusers.[56][57][58]
Dutton has suggested a psychological profile of men who abuse their wives, arguing that they have borderline personalities that are developed early in life.[59][60] Gelles suggests that psychological theories are limited, and points out that other researchers have found that only 10% (or less) fit this psychological profile. He argues that social factors are important, while personality traits, mental illness, or psychopathy are lesser factors.[61][62][63]

Behavioral

Behavioral theories draw on the work of behavior analysts. Applied behavior analysis uses the basic principles of learning theory to change behavior. Behavioral theories of domestic violence focus on the use of functional assessment with the goal of reducing episodes of violence to zero rates.[64] This program leads to behavior therapy. Often by identifying the antecedents and consequences of violent action, the abusers can be taught self control.[65] Recently more focus has been placed on prevention and a behavioral prevention theory.[64

Britain has certainly become more multi-cultural and diverse, but does its traditional class system still stand? It seems the divide between the rich and the poor is growing ever-more prominent.

Whilst well-off Richard Bailey's hobby is sailing gondolas, Adam Bloor is a young homeless man simply trying to build a life for himself. "When you're homeless everybody looks down on you" he shrugs. As the divide between Upper Middle Class and Lower Middle Class, "which borders on being poor", becomes more defined, the gap between rich and poor only seems to be getting bigger.

Malcolm X appears on a television show in Chicago called "City Desk" on March 17, 1963.

"My father didn't know his last name. My father got his last name from his grandfather and his grandfather got it from his grandfather who got it from the slavemaster. The real names of our people were destroyed during slavery. The last name of my forefathers was taken from them when they were brought to America and made slaves, and then the name of the slavemaster was given, which we refuse, we reject that name today and refuse it. I never acknowledge it whatsoever."

The murders

In the summer of 1979, Edward Hope Smith (14) and Alfred Evans (14) disappeared four days apart; both their bodies were found on July 28. Their confirmed deaths were the beginning of the series of murders believed to be committed by the "Atlanta Child Killer", so-called because it was popularly assumed there was only one perpetrator. The next murder victim, Milton Harvey (who was also 14), disappeared on September 4, 1979, while traveling to the bank to pay a credit card bill for his mother. His body was later recovered.
On October 21, 1979, Yusuf Bell went to the store to buy snuff for a neighbor, Eula Birdsong. A witness said she saw Yusuf getting into a blue car before he disappeared. His body was found on November 8, 1979, in the abandoned E.P. Johnson elementary school. He was still wearing the brown cut-off shorts he was last seen in. He had been strangled. The police did not immediately link his disappearance to the previous killings.
The next victim, 12-year-old Angel Lenair, was the first female victim of the killer. She disappeared March 4, 1980 and was found 6 days later, strangled, tied to a tree and possibly sexually assaulted. On March 11, 1980, Jeffery Mathis disappeared while on an errand for his mother.
On June 9, Chris Richardson went missing on his way to a local pool. On June 22 and June 23, seven-year-old Latonya Wilson and 10-year-old Aaron Wyche went missing. The extended wave of disappearances and murders panicked parents and children in the city, and the government struggled to ensure the safety of children. Nonetheless, apparently linked murders continued.
The murders of two children, Anthony Carter and Earl Terell, occurred in July 1980.
Between August and November 1980, five more killings took place. There were no known victims during the month of December. All the victims had been African-American children between the ages of nine and 14 and most had been asphyxiated.
The murders continued into 1981. The first known victim in the new year was Lubie Geter, who disappeared on January 3. Geter's body was found on February 5. Geter's friend Terry Pue also went missing in January. An anonymous caller told the police where to find Pue's body.[1]
In February two murders occurred, believed linked to the others. In March, four Atlanta linked murders took place, including that of Eddie Duncan, the first adult victim.
In April, Larry Rogers was murdered, as well as adult ex-convict John Porter and Jimmy Ray Payne.
After William Barrett went missing on May 16, 1981, his body was found close to his home. The last victim added to the list was Nathaniel Cater, 27 years old.
Investigator Chet Dettlinger created a map of the victims' locations. Despite the difference in ages, the victims fell with the same geographic parameters. They were connected to Memorial Drive and 11 major streets in the area.

Capturing the suspect

As the news media divulged that physical evidence was being gathered from the corpses, the FBI secretly profiled that the killer would dump the next victim into a body of water to remove any evidence. Some victims had already been put in the river. Police staked out the James Jackson Parkway/south Cobb Drive bridge over the Chattahoochee River between Atlanta/Fulton County and suburban Cobb County to monitor suspicious activity that might be connected to the murders. On the last night of their stake-out, May 22, 1981, detectives got the first major break in the case when an officer heard a splash in the water beneath the bridge. He saw a white 1970 Chevroletstation wagon slowly driving away from the bridge.[2]
An Atlanta police patrol car and a second unmarked car carrying federal agents first followed and then stopped the station wagon about a half mile from the bridge. The driver was 23-year-old Wayne Bertram Williams, a failed music promoter and freelancephotographer.[2] The Chevrolet wagon belonged to his parents. Dog hair and fiber evidence recovered from the rear of the vehicle were later major factors in the police building a case against Williams, as they matched his dog and carpet in his parents' house. During questioning, Williams said he was on his way to audition a woman named Cheryl Johnson as a singer. Williams claimed she lived in the nearby Cobb County town of Smyrna. Police did not find any record of Cheryl Johnson nor of Williams's claimed appointment with her.
Two days later, on May 24, the naked body of Nathaniel Cater, 27, was found floating downriver just a few miles from the bridge where Williams had stopped his car.[2] The medical examiner determined the body had been in the river no more than 36 to 48 hours. Based on this evidence, including hearing the splash, police believed that Williams had killed Cater and disposed of his body while the police were nearby.
Several pieces of evidence led the police to consider Williams the prime suspect. On June 21, 1981, they arrested him. A Grand Jury indicted him for first-degree murder in the deaths of Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne, age 22.[2] The trial date was set for early 1982.

Trial

Jury selection began on December 28, 1981, and lasted six days. The jury was composed of nine women and three men, with a racial composition of eight African-Americans and four Caucasians.
The trial officially began on January 6, 1982, with Judge Clarence Cooper presiding. The most important evidence against Williams was the fiber analysis between victims and the 12 pattern-murder cases, in which circumstantial evidence culminated in numerous links among the crimes. This included witnesses testifying to seeing Williams with the victims, and some witnesses suggesting that he had solicited sexual favors.[2]
On February 27, 1982 - after only eleven hours of deliberation - the jury found Wayne Bertram Williams guilty of the two murders. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in the Georgia state prison at Reidsville.[2]
On May 6, 2005, the DeKalb County, Georgia, Police Chief Louis Graham ordered the reopening of the murder cases of five boys who were killed in DeKalb County between February and May 1981 that had been attributed to Williams. Police Chief Graham believed that Williams may have been innocent of these and other murders. The remaining cases are under the jurisdiction of Fulton County, Georgia, and those authorities consider their related murder cases closed with the arrest and trial of Williams.

Musicians performed concerts to honor the victims, and to provide benefits to the victim's families. Performers included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.. The Jacksons performed on July 22, 1981 at the Atlanta Omni Coliseum during their Triumph Tour raising $100,000 for the Atlanta Children's Foundation in response to the kidnappings and murders.
Wayne Williams's father, who was a media photographer in Atlanta at the time, could be seen on stage with Frank Sinatra.

Now 52 years old, Wayne Williams continues to maintain his innocence.
About six months after becoming the DeKalb County Police Chief, Graham reopened the investigations into the deaths of the five DeKalb County victims: Aaron Wyche, 10; Curtis Walker, 13; Joseph Bell, 15; William Barrett, 17; and Patrick Baltazar, 11. Graham, one of the original investigators in these cases, said he never believed Wayne Williams, the man convicted of two of the killings and blamed for 22 others, was guilty of any of them.
On August 6, 2005, journalists reported that Charles T. Sanders, a white supremacist affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), once praised the crimes in secretly recorded conversations. Although Sanders did not claim responsibility for any of the deaths, lawyers for Williams believed that the evidence will help their bid for a new trial for Williams. The police had investigated Sanders in relation to the murders, but dropped the probe into his and the KKK's possible involvement after seven weeks, when Sanders and two of his brothers passed lie detector tests.
The criminal profilerJohn E. Douglas stated that, while he believes that Williams committed many of the murders, he does not think that he committed them all. Douglas added that he believes that law enforcement authorities have some idea of who the other killers are, cryptically adding, "It isn't a single offender and the truth isn't pleasant."[3][broken citation]
On June 21, 2006, the DeKalb County Police dropped its reinvestigation of the Atlanta child murders. After resigning, Graham was replaced by the Acting Chief, Nick Marinelli, who said, "We dredged up what we had, and nothing has panned out, so until something does or additional evidence comes our way, or there's forensic feedback from existing evidence, we will continue to pursue the [other] cold cases that are [with]in our reach."[citation needed]
On January 29, 2007, attorneys for the State of Georgia agreed to allow DNA testing of the dog hair that was used to help convict Williams. This decision was a response to a legal filing as a part of Williams' efforts to appeal his conviction and life sentences. Williams's lawyer, Jack Martin, asked a Fulton County Superior Court judge to allow DNA tests on canine and human hair and blood, stating the results might help Williams win a new trial.
On June 26, 2007, the DNA test results were published, but they failed to exonerate Williams.[4][dead link] While some prosecutors asserted that the results "linked" Williams to the killings, defense lawyers called the test results inconclusive. Dr. Elizabeth Wictum, director of the UC Davis laboratory that carried out the testing, told The Associated Press that while the results were “fairly significant,” they "don't conclusively point to Williams' dog as the source of the hair", because the lab was able to test only for mitochondrial DNA which, unlike nuclear DNA, cannot be shown to be unique to one dog.[5]

http://yearslaterwewouldremember.com - Watch part2 of this compelling excerpt from Civil Rights Heroes, a documentary from Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Kent, which originally aired on Discovery Networks. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African-American boy, who was murdered by white racists in the racially segregated Mississippi of 1955. The men who killed him were acquitted. After their trial, they infamously admitted their part in the murder. Tills death, which made national headlines, set off a firestorm that launched the Civil Rights Movement. A Civil Rights Movement History Documentary, Black History Month.

The horrifying true story of a reform school in Mariana, Florida in the 1950s whose administrators raped, abused and killed young boys. After victims came forward demanding justice the Governor of Florida launched a mandatory investigation to uncover the truth behind the hundreds of unmarked graves located at the school. Families insisted that their lost children were buried there after being beaten to death in the White House. Based on the book "The White House Boys" by Roger Kiser. This is a sneak peak to the documentary and film presented to you by Franchesca Elder and Paul Hensler.

Free Romaine Chip Fitzgerald Petitionwww.freechip.infowww.myspace.com/freechipfitzgerald
ROMAINE "CHIP" FITZGERALD was a member of the Black Panther party, as were the two other Black men in the vehicle with him when they were pulled over by the police at Compton Blvd and Van Ness Ave in Gardena, CA, on September 7th, 1969. The police claimed later, in court, that they had pulled over these three Black men for a "faulty taillight." (We know about these types of taillights, don't we?) The "traffic stop" ended up in a shootout, wherein the CHP officer was wounded, and Chip Fitzgerald shot in the head, as well. All three Black men escaped the scene, yet Fitzgerald's license was left behind. Later, during the trial that would see Fitzgerald given a death sentence, that very same police officer admitted he had been given orders to "to shoot members of the Black Panther Party" (of which all three men were members) but the Judge ordered the jury to ignore this statement.
The jury also, it seems, ignored the statements made by two women who shared the apartment with Fitzgerald (Doris Haughton and her sister, Janice Sadle) who testified that Chip did not leave the house 22 days later, the night Barge Miller, a security guard at Vons Shopping Center (El Segundo and Avalon Boulevards in Los Angeles) was killed. Mr. Miller was shot and killed while in his car at 1:42 a.m., and a witness, James Cole, claimed he saw two black men fleeing the scene. Mr. Cole claimed that he could not get a good look at the men due to the dim lighting at the nighttime scene, yet was confident that it was Chip, whom he could only identify while looking at him in court. This confident witness was shown several photographs of different men, including Fitzgerald, yet could not identify him in the photo. Nor did he mention seeing a white gauze bandage of the type that Fitzgerald was wearing since being shot in the head by the CHP officer. This "confident witness" could not even describe the courtroom judge without looking at him.
Despite Fitzgerald's witnesses and his own denial of involvement with the Barge Miller shooting; despite the flimsy testimony of the eyewitness to Barge Miller's shooting; despite the Police admitting they had orders to kill Black Panthers, Fitzgerald was sentenced to death. This sentence was later commuted to a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald was 20 years old when he entered prison in 1970. He is the longest held political prisoner in the United States of America, and serving 2 life sentences for the murder of Barge Miller, and the attempted murder of the CHP officer. In 1998, he suffered a massive stroke and during his time in prison has been denied proper medical care for both this, and a degenerative spinal condition.
In 1969 the FBI special agent in San Francisco wrote Hoover that his investigation of the Black Panther Party revealed that in his city, at least, the Black nationalists were primarily feeding breakfast to children. Hoover fired back a memo implying the career ambitions of the agent were directly related to his supplying evidence to support Hoover's view that the BPP was "a violence prone organization seeking to overthrow the Government by revolutionary means".
J. Edgar Hoover wrote in a memo that the "[p]urpose of counterintelligence action is to disrupt the Black Panther Party and it is immaterial whether facts exist to substantiate the charge." Clearly, he got his wish, and to this day, the remnants of Black men who felt they had the same rights to live, eat, and defend themselves from hate and violence are being ground down into the grimy floors of prisons and the dark depths of early graves.
Romaine Chip Fitzgerald is not a legend, not a history lesson, not a cause. He is a man. He is an elderly, ailing, man locked away from the light of day for almost forty years. In a letter he wrote on January 23, 2007 he tells us that he is "...still on lockdown. They are dragging this nonsense out. They don't respond to adminstrative appeals because they investigate themselves, and turn a blind eye to each others violation and corruption." Prison is bad enough. Being on lockdown is punishment within punishment, keeping prisoners restricted in movement, activity, and not allowing them many basic needs, such as giving them a shower every 72 hours. This—on lockdown 24/7—for an almost 60 year-old man who has undergone major back surgery while in prison and who now walks with a cane and a limp.

I was in San Francisco at Emory Douglas' home when Barbara Cox called to tell me that DC (Donald Cox) had died in his sleep in France. I felt very bad as I told Emory the news. I was feeling pretty good up to that point. We were talking to some young actors about a play they wanted to do on the BPP. I also told them, as they were very interested in the history of the Party. In fact they asked about DC earlier. I told Emory that this is a bad day in our Legacy of the BPP; that we lost a good soldier. DC was the Field Marshall of the BPP. His responsibilities included checking out the many (48) BPP offices to make sure they were able to defend themselves and were carrying out the correct principles of the Party.
Everyday last week, I was in communication with Kathleen Cleaver and Barbara Cox about an exhibit I am putting together on the World Impact of the Black Panther Party. Last year we were in Tanzania for a Conference we cosponsored with the UAACC. While there, Pete O'Neal gave me some photos for the It's About Time Archives. The photos were taken at the International Section of the BPP in Algiers from 1970-1972 while DC was there.. These are the only photos I know of from the BPP Embassy. Pete and Charlotte O'Neal worked there for a while before moving to Tanzania in 1972.
Many of the photos were of Panthers and people I didn't know, so everyday I would send photos to Kathleen and Barbara, and they would e-mail back their comments. Just the other day I e-mailed some pictures of DC at the embassy with African Leaders and a photo of Yasser Arafat with DC. So everyday we would communicate about the International Section and DC.
I first saw DC at some rallies at the Alameda County Courthouse in 1968 and at Bobby Hutton Park. I didn't know his name until I joined the BPP. He worked out of National HQ's and San Francisco was his base. He worked out of the office in the Fillmore. DC was highly respected in the Party and on campus at SF State and the streets of SF.
In 1968 I worked out of the E. Oakland office which was run by Captain Robert Bay. He was also a student at SF State. In 1968, the BSU led a strike at SF State College for an Ethnic Studies Dept. The college was the scene of a big strike and we as Party members supported the Black Students on campus. We would ride over to the campus in full Panther gear to show support for the strike. I would see DC on campus in support of the students and also George Murray who was our Minister of Education of the BPP. George also taught English at the college and was fired for his support of the students.
As time went on I would see DC at Political Education Classes which were held at the National HQ's. DC was always well dressed, but he was very quiet. He was a very private person but open and friendly at the same time.
A few years back, Gail and I went to visit DC in France which was great trip. We drove from Nice to the mountain that was up in the clouds to see DC. He lived way up there in a beautiful home he rebuilt. It was large and had octagon windows with a breathtaking view. In the far background from his living room window you could see an old castle on a ridge miles away. He said the house was first built in the1840's, but he added on the modern things like inside plumbing and showers in the bathroom. He built a nice communication center, with all the modern toys. He had a PC, a radio and record player with albums. He also had a DVD and CD player, but not cable TV. He watched the news twice a day in the morning and evening. He spent his time gardening and growing flowers to sell to perfume companies. This home was part of a farming commune, but most of the people moved away to the city. DC loved the peace and quiet and didn't mind being by himself.
Barbara said he was working in his garden earlier in the day. He was starting to turn over the soil to prepare for spring. On our visit with DC we spent a lot of time talking about the mistakes of the BPP. He told me he liked the website, and that it was a good thing a Rank and File member ran it, to keep the facts straight. After a few days we had to leave DC which was sad. He got us interested in castles and the way they were defended. He was a great historianand he studied the history of where he lived and even found some old coins while digging to put the plumbing in his house. The coins were so old that it took him a while to find out about them. They were from the 1200's.
I loved DC for what he stood for. To me he was a rare individual and has always been one of my hero's because he lived by his principles and taught by example. On several occasions, the government tried to kill him., like when they raided the SF office. Everybody that I know respected DC. If he had your back, he had your back, a man of his word. I will miss my brother. For those of you whom never knew DC, please check his link on our website. Check under Field Marshall and check Our Stories chapter 5: Barbara Cox story.on www.itsabouttimebpp.com

--
A revolution now cannot be confined to the place or people where it may commence, but flashes with lightning speed from heart to heart, from land to land, til it has traversed the globe ...
--Frederick Douglass

Special Cultural Presentations by
Spiritchild &
The Impact Repertory Theatre

Michael "Cetewayo" Tabor was born in Harlem on December 13, 1946, to Grace Hunter and Michael Tabor, Sr.He attended the St. Aloysius Roman Catholic School on West 132nd Street and Harlem's Rice High School where he excelled in both academics and varsity athletics.

Tabor joined the Black Panther Party in 1969 and took the name Cetewayo, a 19th century Zulu Warrior King. It was during that time that he wrote an insightful pamphlet on drug addiction called “Capitalism Plus Dope Equals Genocide.” According to former members, Tabor was one of the more well known of the spokespersons for the Panther Party and was admired for his deep baritone voice and charismatic personality.

He was among a group of 21 members of the New York Chapter of the Panthers that was indicted in April of 1969 for conspiracy to commit coordinated attacks on New York City Police precincts and department stores. In February of 1971, while out on bail, Tabor flew to Algiers, Algeria in fear of his life due to the illegal FBI COINTELPRO induced internal conflicts that were developing within the Black Panther Party. Several months later all 21 defendants were acquitted of all charges.

Tabor arrived in Algiers with his new wife, fellow Black Panther Party member Connie Mathews, who had been the group’s International Coordinator. They became part of the International Section of the Black Party led by Eldridge Cleaver. For a time, the Panthers were guests of the Algerian Government, but were eventually expelled from the country.

In 1972 Tabor moved to Lusaka, Zambia, on a writing assignment for the Paris-based Africa-Asia magazine in order to cover the African liberation movements based there. He would remain in Lusaka for the next 38 years. After the death of his wife, Connie Mathews, he married Zambian national, Priscilla Matanda. Tabor became a popular and respected figure in Lusaka and continued writing on politics and culture for various publications. His distinctive voice allowed him to transition into radio and for many years he hosted programs that featured jazz, African and world music on several Lusaka radio stations.

--
A revolution now cannot be confined to the place or people where it may commence, but flashes with lightning speed from heart to heart, from land to land, til it has traversed the globe ...
--Frederick Douglass

This new episode of FREEDOM IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE was recorded yesterday, just in time to help publicize Cisco Torres' important March 2 hearing in San Francisco, with an 8 AM rally that supporters are urged to attend. Please help spread the word.

This February 26, 2011 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle features Dylcia Pagan and Francisco Torres.

Dylcia Pagan is a Puerto Rican freedom fighter and Independista, who spent nearly 20 years in Federal prisons on charges of seditious conspiracy for her role in the underground wing of the Puerto Rican independence movement. One of 11 Puerto Rican political prisoners granted clemency in 1999 by President Clinton, she was paroled to Puerto Rico, where she has continued to struggle against U.S. colonialism nonviolently. Born and raised in New York City , Dylcia studied psychology, political science, and Puerto Rican studies at Brooklyn College where she founded the Puerto Rican Students Union. Her culture and politics are expressed through painting, ceramics, poetry, writings, and film.

She has participated in the production of a video about her life and compañeros in the struggle; and while in prison, she helped direct a documentary about Puerto Rican Women Prisoners of War. Her biography has been published in Puerto Rican Women: A History of Oppression and Resistance and she appears in the new film Machetero (view a clip with Dylciahere).

Francisco Torres (Cisco), 58, of New York City , was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City . He is a Vietnam Veteran who fought for the grievances of Black and Latino soldiers upon his return to the states. A former Black Panther, he has been a community activist since his discharge from the military in 1969. Cisco continues to work with troubled youth in his Queens community.

Cisco is the last of the San Francisco Eight to still be facing charges. He has an evidentiary hearing on March 2, 2011, and there is an 8 AM rally prior to the hearing, where supporters are urged to attend. For the latest developments in the case and what you can do to help, please go to www.freethesf8.org.

--This episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle is a collaborative project by Kiilu Nyasha and Angola 3 News.

Kiilu Nyasha is a San Francisco-based journalist and former member of the Black Panther Party. Through the end of 2009, Kiilu hosted a weekly TV program, "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle," on SF Live, and many of her shows are archived at www.kiilunyasha.blogspot.com. Kiilu also writes for several publications, including the SF Bay View Newspaper and BlackCommentator.com. Also an accomplished radio programmer, she has worked for KPFA (Berkeley), SF Liberation Radio, Free Radio Berkeley, and KPOO in SF.

Angola 3 News is a project of the International Coalition to Free the Angola 3. Our website is www.angola3news.com where we provide the latest news about the Angola 3. We are also creating our own media projects, which spotlight the issues central to the story of the Angola 3, like racism, repression, prisons, human rights, solitary confinement as torture, and more.

Welcome To My World

About Me

DARCY D= YOU MUST BELIEVE.STANDING UP FOR THE INNOCENT C.E.O
The United Kingdom resident champions causes of the voiceless, the powerless and the weak, particularly in North America. She campaigns for petitions on behalf of incarcerated human trafficking.